Wire rope



L'FREDEEGH l5,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented flyer. 5., 192i.,

Application filed Angust 5, 1920. Serial No. 405,956.

.Be it known that l, Fnnennion S. PHELPS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Sausalito, in the county of Marin and State of California, have invented certain 4new and useful linproveinents in l'Vire Ropes, of whieh the following is a specificationn My invention relates to wire ropes having,r one or more str-ande, and more particularly relates to the Construction of the rope Strands, (or when a single Strand rope, the Strand) of which the rope ie inade.

@ne object oli the invention ie to provide a rope or rope stra nd of improved eonetrnction wherein a i of Wires ot varying diameter are eonnpaetly. asieeinbled in.l a highly novel manner to the end of forniing a strand in one op ation which cmnbines great strength and lienibility with a maxi muni cross section et inet-allie area fo1 any given diameter.

Another object this invention ie the provision oil' a Wire rope Strand wherein a series of round aires et Selected sizes or diameters are ml eo as; to avoid the nicliingaeeoeiaited with the Urosa... y presH ent in existing Constructions.

A further object of the invention is to iiiro'vide a wire roi e Strand wherein the irires are lielie'ellv Woinid einen?! a ventral core and are lool in 'bled 1 o--ition, that display@ "1 an fiery nre ie overcome and pre the saine 'relay oif'ering the nce to abrasion.

n El e reife or rope Strand ig, nier-,tel and coni- Shown by the drawit'ter descril" il in detail, and bar nointed ont in the appended 'ff drawing, l'orrning,` i `r"igure ie a plan Wire rope `hari and my invention. an exaggerated Q embodying the novel features of my invention, the Section begin taken on the line H-ll of Fig. l.

Referring now to the drawing, each rope strand has a core 2 preferably formed of a .single Wire of relatively large diameter. However, when desired, the core 2 may be made of henip or similar material. The core 2 surrounded by a layer of Wires 3, which are lielically Wound, side by Side, upon the core 2. The Wires forming this inner layer of Wires are all oit the saine diameter and somewhat snialle than the central core 2. rJlie inner layer 'formed by the Wires 3 is surrounded by an. intermediate layer of wires which are helically Wound and eX- -tend in the same direction as the Wires 3. This intermediate layer is formed oi' double the number oit "W`qes in the inner layer and has alternate large Wires el, and Small Wires 5.V The Wires 4l and 5 are of suoli relative size as Will completely cover the inner layer of Wires and at the same time form a true circle. In assembling the intermediate layer, the large Wires fl are anranged to lie in the interstiees between the wires 3 forming the inner layer, being thereby looked firmly in place, and the smaller Wires are positioned on the crowns oi the Wires 3 of the inner `Idiameter than the 'Wires in either the inner or intermediate layer oi' wires. The Wires (i, which ,also are wound helieally, are laid in the interetices between the Wires nl? the intermediate layer and are uarranged to cover the intermediate layer and forni a true circle7 as Well as being loelied against displacement. i

.ln forming rope hai/ing a plurality of strands, the atiende after being4 formed will be laid up into rope in any desired one of -the several known mannegbnt preferably will be arranged as shown in l.

The advantages oit my invention will Abe apparent to those skilled in the ar". ly arranging the Strand Wires in layere. and by selecting the sizes oi' the various Wires, a

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` strand or rope is obtained which is strong and iiexible and wliieh is or minimum diameter, and has a maximum amount of metal for that diameter. Ey' arranging the wires sn the manner shown and described all of the wires in the outer layer are completely eelred in position, and the wires of the outer ayer being of the sanne diameter, each wire offers the same amount of resistance to abrasion. rliliis feature is of great importance because it permits of larger wires being used in the outer layer ot wires than is possible in the rope strand as heretofore constructed. All of the wires being laid up' in one operation in 'forming1 the strands, nickine; is avoided and the wires have a line bearing; on adjacent wires instead of the point bearingv usually present in flexible wire ropes ot ordinary construction.

y liiediications in the construction and arrangement of the wires forming my improved rope may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

l elaim1-- l. wire rope or strand formed of round wires and comprising a core, an inner layer of wires wound helioally around said core, an intermediate layer oi' wires surrounding said inner layer, the wires in said intermediate layer being double the number in lsaid inner layer and having' alternate wires lying in the interstices between the wires ot' said inner layer, and an outer layer of wires surrounding said intermediate layer and having the wires in said outer layer lying in the intersticee between the wires of said intermediate layeiz 2h il wire rope or strand formed otl round wires and comprising; core, inner layer ef wires nfound lielioally around said Core.u 'the diameter of the wires in said inner layer beine: smaller than the diameter of the core, an intermediate layer of alternating large and small wires surrounding said inner layer, the wires in eaid intermediate layer being deuble the number in said inner layer, and the larger wires oi said intermediate layer lying in the interstices between the wires oi the inner layer7 and an outer layer et wires surrounding said intermediate .3. A wire rope or strand formed of roundl wires and comprising a core, an inner layer ,of wires wound'helieally around said core,

the diameter of the wires in said inner layer being smaller than the diameter of the core, an intermediate layer of alternating large and small wires surrounding said inner layer, the wires in said intermediate layer being double the number in said inner layer, and the larger wires of said intermediate layer lying in the interstices between the wires of the inner layer, and an outer layer of wires surrounding said intermediate layer, the wires of said outer layer lying in the interstices between the wires of the intermediate layer and being of greater diameter` than the wires in said intermediate layer.

4. A wire rope or strand formed of round wires and comprising a Core and a plurality of concentric layers of wires surrounding' said core, the wires' in the inner layer being wound helically around the core, the lwires in the intermediate layer being'doubl-e 4the numbervin the inner layer and having alter? nate wires lying; in-the interstices between the wires of said inner layer, and the wires in the outer layer equaling the number in the intermediate layer and lying in the interstices between the wires of said intermediate layer.

5. A wire rope or strand formed of round wires and comprising a core and a plurality. of concentric layers of wires surrounding said core, the wires in the inner layer"being wound helically around the core, the wires in the intermediate layer being double the number in the inner layer and being formed of alternating large and small wires, with the series of larger wires lying in the interstiees between the wires of said inner layer, and the wires ot' the outer layer of larger diameter than the wires in said intermediate layer and lying in the interstices between the wires forming said intermediate layer. y

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed myname.

FREDERCK S. PHELPS.

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